Up the lazy river

Aswan, Egypt We left by bus early this morning for Philae Temple, the cult center of Isis, and Egypt’s last classical-style temple.

Its monuments span from the pharaohs to the caesars. What we see today looks like it has been there for ages, but it was actually originally on a nearby island that got flooded when the first Aswan dam was built in 1902. It was finally decided to relocate the temple, which was completed in 1980. That fact alone is awe-inspiring.

We reached there by a small motor boat and the day was still cool and breezy. There are various side temples, but the main courtyard fronts the Temple of Isis, built by the Ptolemies — the Greek rulers of Egypt.

The stories of Isis finding the last part of her brother Osiris buried here, and then bringing him back to life make good reading. And it all happened here.

A Christian church was plopped in the middle of the temple, and early tourists left their mark.

The next-door Kiosk of Trajan had a romantic touch loved by the Victorians. It was Trajan’s attempt to align himself with the ancient gods and curry Egyptian favor.

The entire complex had its last gasp when Emperor Justinian abolished the ancient religions.

Our next stop was the High Aswan Dam, a triumph of modern engineering. With the Nile on one side and huge Lake Nasser on the other, we drove on the dam to celebrate the reason all Egyptians can enjoy electricity. Quite a marvel.

In the afternoon, we took a small motorboat to the Aswan Botanical Garden, also known as Kitchner’s Island, the 19th century British commander who was fascinated by botany. While many of the species represented are not native to Egypt, they come from similar ecosystems, as you might imagine.

It was a pleasant place to visit, with the felucas sailing all around us, and the cruise ships docked in a row, waiting for our return.

One fun sight along the river was the Old Cataract Hotel, where Agatha Christie stayed while writing Death on the Nile. Rooms now go for $1000 a night.

Then it was back to our ship and an evening of packing. Tomorrow we fly to Abu Simbel, where we board another cruise. Still hoping for strong WiFi somewhere.

At the request of a passionate GoKnow subscriber, a word about our Nile cruise ship. Generally speaking, these boats are big rectangular floating hotels. They are all the same size as they all have to fit through the same locks.

There are only so many docking berths at each tourist destination, so boats are parked sidewise, side by side, as many as four or five deep. That means only the first one is curbside, so getting to your own boat often means walking through the lobby of all the others. It was a surprise the first time we opened our drapes and realized there was another boat a foot away.

Our ship, the Royal Lily, has bedrooms on three decks, a dining room on the lower deck, and a pool and lounge area on the top level. All very nice and well-staffed.

Meals are served buffet style, and guests have assigned tables. The food here on our first cruise is varied and inventive, so we were happy. We have our own table, so no need to force conversation with strangers. Our room is larger than I expected, so no complaints there. Great views as we cruise.

They thank the Aswan Dam for moderating the Nile so that these cruises — and all the employment they represent  — are possible.

Don’s Food Corner

We’ve never been interested in going on a cruise. The thought was repugnant. Being couped up in the middle of a body of water that is very, very deep with no chance for escape and then surrounded by people who might not be as agreeable as you could hope didn’t sound like much fun.

We made an exception for the two Nile cruises we just finished. It was only on these cruises that could conveniently visit the important sights we wanted to see. Overall, it wasn’t so bad. But I thought itineraries of cruises that feature a week or more on the water with no stops sounded excruciating.

Another feature of cruises that we found offensive was the vision of endless all-you-can-eat buffets. Or worse, all-you-can-drink programs. That conjured up the vision of hoards of really fat, drunk people.

Now, however, faced with the actual all-you-can-eat buffet, I succumbed. I wouldn’t say the offerings were particularly inventive or of a haute cuisine caliber. But they certainly hit the right note with most of the people on board — including me. I pigged out. Three times a day. It erased all progress that the first couple of weeks of a forced diet plan that Egyptian food delivered.

How many times did I have my dirtied plate removed so that I could start all over again for another section of the buffet tables? I lost count. There was the bread section. The dairy section. The salad section. The soup section. The fruit section. The “mains” section (and usually two or more of those). And the “sides” section. And then there was the dessert section.

I didn’t want to insult the chef and the other people who prepared all this food and not at least try it. All of it.

Those who have been on cruises know what I’m talking about.

On both cruises, the “mains” were different with each meal. A whole sea bass one time. A roast turkey another time. There was a leg of lamb. Hamburgers. Roast beef. Shrimp. And on and on. The most striking (and shocking) was an entire half of a roasted calf that dramatically showed exactly where veal comes from. A display like that on some American buffets would have prompted screams of horror. But for the mostly German clientele on the cruise that featured this veal, it was a welcome sight.

I’m happy to report that most of my clothes still fit, but barely. There are some gaps on the lower part of my shirts that seem to splail out to expose expanding flesh that is challeging my buttons.

There were scales available in every one of the bathrooms we had. Very cruel machines. Very cruel. I can’t imagine what would happen to a person who goes on one of those multi-month around-world cruises.

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